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It is said of just about every state: “If you don’t like the weather, stick around. It’ll change.” In Kentucky, however, this time-worn cliché carries more than a grain of truth. Weather and its vagaries are an obsession in the state, not only because the commonwealth relies heavily on weather-sensitive industries such as agriculture, transportation, and tourism, but also because weather changes are indeed frequent and often abrupt.

In Kentucky Weather, meteorologist Jerry Hill explains how the atmosphere creates Kentucky’s weather, and he provides insights into what conditions affect temperature, precipitation, storms, drought, and other aspects of the state’s climate. He links the state’s volatile weather history to the creation of its rich coalfields and explains how past ice ages helped form Kentucky’s fertile farmland.

Additionally, the book examines tools and techniques for measuring and predicting weather and recounts the lore and superstitions associated with weather phenomena. Hill also discusses key weather events in Kentucky’s history. He describes the rainstorm that saved pioneers from an Indian attack on Fort Boonesboro in 1778; the Great Flood of 1937; the devastating tornado outbreak of April 1974, when twenty-seven tornadoes raced across the state in a single day; and the severe ice storm that crippled much of central Kentucky in 2003.

Illustrated with photographs of noteworthy weather events with tables, charts and graphs detailing everything from record high and low temperatures to statistics on tornadoes, snowfall, and thunderstorms, Kentucky Weather is filled with significant and unusual facts in the history of the Bluegrass State’s changeable climate.

"Hill leaves no stone unturned, and in addition to learning about meteorology, the reader is treated to several lessons in history, geology, and many other related topics."—Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

"Hill clearly details the weather's effects on Kentucky's history and development, including those past weather events that have become part of Kentucky's history. . . . Hill also explains the forces that create Kentucky's weather, giving insights into what conditions affect temperature, precipitation, storms, and drought across the Commonwealth."—Weather Reviews

"Hill covers the background and basics of the Bluegrass State's climate and its impact on the economy, as well as weather history and key weather events."—Weatherwise

It is said of just about every state in the United States: “If you don’t like the weather, stick around. It’ll change.” In Kentucky, however, this time-worn cliché carries more than a grain of truth. Weather and its vagaries are an obsession in the state, not only because the Commonwealth relies heavily on agriculture, but because weather changes are indeed frequent and can be quite abrupt. In Kentucky Weather, meteorologist Jerry D. Hill discusses early concepts of weather in Kentucky and its effects on the state’s history and development. He describes past weather events that have become part of Kentucky’s history, such as the great rainstorm that saved pioneers from an Indian attack on Fort Boonesboro in 1778; the great flood of 1937; the devastating tornado outbreak of April 1974, when twenty-seven tornadoes raced across the state in a single day; and the severe ice storm that crippled much of central Kentucky in 2003. Hill also explains how the atmosphere creates Kentucky’s weather, and he provides insights into what conditions affect temperature, precipitation, storms, drought, and other aspects of the state’s climate. Illustrated with photographs of noteworthy weather events in Kentucky and charts and graphs detailing everything from record high and low temperatures throughout the state to statistics on tornadoes, snowfall, thunderstorms, and more, Kentucky Weather is a non- technical book that is a valuable resource.

"A reader-friendly account of Kentucky’s weather and climate."—Ohio Valley History